08/11/2015
If anyone in/around London fancies attending and reviewing tomorrow night’s show at the Roundhouse, please step forward – apologies for the very short notice due to a convoluted communication breakdown!
Musings on the byways of popular culture
4 ½ comprises 6 tracks with a total running time of 37 minutes. 4 of the songs originated during the sessions for Hand. Cannot. Erase., and one from the recording sessions for the previous album The Raven that Refused to Sing. The final track is a version of Don’t Hate Me, a song originally recorded by Porcupine Tree in 1998, and is based on a live recording made on the recent tour of Europe with additional recording later done in the studio. The vocals on this new version are sung as a duet between Steven and Ninet Tayeb.
Released 22 January.
Steven Wilson – “4 ½”
1. My Book of Regrets (9.23) 2. Year of the Plague (4.15) 3. Happiness 3 (4.31) 4. Sunday Rain Sets In (3.50) 5. Vermillioncore (5.09) 6. Don’t Hate Me (9.34)
What does it sound like?:
A sequel and companion piece to last years 2014 Elements release, this 2015 set comprises two cds plus an informative and illuminating illustrated booklet.
Every line up of the band is represented over the period 1969-2015 in this collection of new material, alternate takes, tour rehearsals and live recordings, many of which are making their first appearance on CD. There are also previews from forthcoming releases such as the USA II album.
Laid out in roughly chronological fashion, it provides a comprehensive alternate overview of the band’s career to date. At 140 minutes long, this is first class listening – a heady mixture of the familiar and the unexpected, all presented in stunning sonic clarity.
No period is left unexplored, with several pieces appearing from the ProjeKts ‘research and development’ period, as well as from the 80’s era that was sadly not much touched on in the band’s recent shows.
What does it all *mean*?
Amply demonstrates the vast array of musical talent and compositional skill that has been showcased by this band over the years.
Goes well with…
Prog that constantly pushes the envelope and stretches the boundaries – after all these years » Continue Reading.
What does it sound like?:
A huge box set covering Hackett’s work between 1975 and 1983. This comprises his first six Charisma albums augmented by a treasure trove of 67 previously unreleased recordings, split between old and new material, live tracks and remixes.
Overall there are ten cds plus a further four dvds carrying 5.1 mixes, two of which (Please Don’t Touch and Spectral Mornings) are done by the fair hand of Steven Wilson.
The six cds cover the studio albums from that era, with extra bonus material thrown in for good measure, plus no less than four live albums from the same period – two of these are completely unreleased before, while the other two also contain a good deal of previously unheard material. Completing the ten cds on offer are two new stereo remixes by Steven Wilson, again of Please Don’t Touch and Spectral Mornings.
The whole set is beautifully packaged and comes with a substantial and very informative booklet.
What does it all *mean*?
This box set has all the Hackett you’ll ever need from that period. Sure, it looks pricey on first glance, but then when you see the wealth of the material included » Continue Reading.
What does it sound like?:
A three cd plus dvd compilation from the collected works of the Bard of Salford.
The three cds combine studio performances with live material and Peel sessions, while the dvd has an excellent selection of performances from his appearances on the Old Grey Whistle Test and culminates with some live material from his 2014 shows.
All the old favourites are here – to name but a few, Evidently Chickentown, Beasley Street, Kung Fu International, Readers Wives, I Married A Monster From Outer Space – and there are many more just as good of course.
Listening to these pieces for the first time in years brings back hazy forgotten memories of long nights in the Student Union in days of yore – and they mostly sound just as good now as they did back in those halcyon days of the late seventies/early eighties.
What does it all *mean*?
Some stuff just stands the test of time with no apparent effort, and age has certainly not wearied most of the verses on offer here.
Goes well with…
To be taken with a few beers and some good mates. Wait for the recollections to come flooding back
What does it sound like?:
The first album to feature Rick Wakeman, the first to feature Roger Dean’s artwork and arguably the first Yes masterwork. The core of the album is the three long pieces, Roundabout, South Side of The Sky and Heart of the Sunrise, with an honourable mention for Long Distance Runaround. Of the individual solo pieces, the strongest by far belong to Howe and Squire. Steven Wilson’s latest remix in this continuing series reaches his usual impeccable standard, bringing more clarity and depth to the songs, providing a greater sense of space to each facet of the recording. The Bluray disc features the 5.1 mix, an instrumental version of the album, radio promo edits and half a dozen previously songs, comprising mainly of alternate takes. The most interesting of these is an unheard song segment titled All Fighters Past, discovered at the end of a tape reel that had been reused for another recording. Ideas that were to be incorporated into Revealing Science and Siberian Khatru are both hinted at in this surviving section of the full piece.
What does it all *mean*?
The standard of musicianship and songwriting achieved by the band, still then in » Continue Reading.
What music, film, books are you hopefully looking forward to finding in your stocking….
What does it sound like?:
The ubiquitous Steven Wilson is on hand again to do the remixing honours on Gentle Giant’s 1972 album.
The CD gives us a brand new 2015 remix of the original album, plus 15 minutes of excerpts from a live performance of some of the material taken from a 1976 show.
The DVD presents a 5.1 mix of the music on the CD plus some interesting and unheard instrumental versions of five of the pieces, together with a flat transfer of the album from the original master tapes.
This is an album that concentrates on shorter songs and is a subtle mix of prog and more conventional rock music.
As with the previously issued The Power and The Glory album, Wilson has done a super job on the remix, producing remarkable clarity and separation of sound which perfectly exhibits the simplicity and complexity of the music, both of which are consistently in evidence throughout these rewarding pieces.
What does it all *mean*?
Gentle Giant are often overlooked and their work neglected in favour of their better known contemporaries, but this album shows precisely why they should not be forgotten when the history of prog is » Continue Reading.
What does it sound like?:
King Crimson’s 1995 album is remixed as part of the band’s ongoing campaign of 40th anniversary reissues.
The CD features a new stereo mix by Messrs Fripp and Jakszyk, while the DVD adds a 5.1 mix of the original album, the 2015 mix and the 2002 mix which was originally issued as part of the 30th anniversary campaign.
Even for followers of the band this album, recorded in the band’s double trio formulation, is a complex and challenging listen.The music is powerful, indeed brutal at times, dominated by huge guitars, bass and drums, but punctuated by oddly calmer serene interludes before the barrage resumes once again.
Repeated listening brings out hidden subtleties concealed in the depths of the wall of sound, and this is certainly an album that reveals more and more of its complexities with repeated listening.
What does it all *mean*?
King Crimson’s career of pushing the boundaries is perfectly illustrated by this innovative piece of work, which sounds as fresh and ground breaking today as it did 20 years ago.
Goes well with…
If you like your music out there on the edge, this is certainly one to check out.
What does it sound like?:
A 2 cd retrospective of the career of Jack Bruce who passed away in October 2014. This album covers the periods 1966-78 and 2002-13. It features a wide range of his solo work, plus material from his time with Cream and a couple of tracks from the BBM project he did with Ginger Baker and Gary Moore. I had expected the solo material from his most well known early solo work, together with the Cream songs which are collected on CD1, to be the strongest things on offer here. What a surprise then to find that the lesser known songs from his later work, collected on the second cd, are just as good! All the classics are present and correct, 8 Cream songs (2 in mono), Rope Ladder To The Moon, Theme From an Imaginary Western, Weird of Hermiston to name but a few – but do check out the second cd to discover hitherto buried treasure.
What does it all *mean*?
What a talent Bruce was – maybe something that got forgotten in his later years. This chronologically arranged compilation shows that the passing of the years did not diminish his prowess.
Goes » Continue Reading.
Expanded deluxe edition coming in December.
http://www.spincds.com/odessey-and-oracle-stereo-mono-2cd-47127
JACK BRUCE: SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE: A LIFE IN MUSIC
Twelve months after his passing, a 2CD collection celebrating the life of the legendary musician is released on 16 October 2015
Extra tickets have been released for the sold out tribute concert to be held at the Roundhouse, Saturday 24 October
A very special highlights collection of Jack Bruce’s work will be available this month with the release of Sunshine of Your Love: A Life in Music. Released Friday 16 October via Universal the career spanning 35-track 2CD anthology will feature the greatest works from the legendary musician, composer and bass virtuoso.
The anthology celebrates the highlights of Jack Bruce’s career and covers both his work with Cream and much more beyond, including his last album, the critically acclaimed Silver Rails. Sunshine of Your Love: A Life in Music coincides with the tribute concert ‘Sunshine of Your Love’ featuring Ginger Baker, Joss Stone, Phil Manzanera, Ian Anderson, Vernon Reid, Mark King, Hugh Cornwell, Bernie Marsden, Uli Jon Roth and many more.
Proceeds from the concert will be going to Jack’s favourite charity East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH). A donation will also be made to » Continue Reading.
An excerpt from a new song…..
http://www.uncut.co.uk/news/hear-an-excerpt-from-david-bowies-new-song-blackstar-71106
Next Tull reissue due end of November.
There is an opportunity to attend and review ONE of the following two gigs and/or interview the band.
These are the final shows in 2015.
If anyone fancies this, please message Bargepole asap.
November 6 – The Sugarmill, Stoke
November 19 – The Lexington, London
That is all.
What does it sound like?:
There’s been so much written about this album over the past thirty odd years it’s hard to know where to begin or what to say that hasn’t already been said.
This is an album that after all these years still sounds warm, rich and luxurious and manages to simultaneously convey a sense of longing, a desire, an essence.
It is an album heavy with yearning, a great rich stew of a record that seems to be about everything and nothing, the past and the present, the permanent and the fleeting, the dream and the reality.
Choose your own favourite from this hypnotic song cycle – the ecstatic Sweet Thing, the bewitching Madame George, the fluid Astral Weeks, the tangle of reminiscences that make up Cyprus Avenue. Personally, I’ve always had a soft spot for the beautiful Ballerina and the enigmatic drama of the closing Slim Slow Slider.
This remastered version comes with four previously unreleased alternate takes – they are interesting from a historical perspective, but this is an album that needs no extras – the original in itself remains perfect in its unsurpassed completeness and complexity.
What does it all *mean*?
Lester Bangs » Continue Reading.
What does it sound like?:
This four CD set is a sampler for the mammoth eighty CD box set, which showcases one concert from each year of the band’s touring career, spanning 1966 -1995.
This package contains one song from each of the shows, all previously unreleased, plus a 1965 studio recording of Caution (Do Not Step On The Tracks).
All Dead fans will have their favourite era of shows and of course their own ideas as to what music should have been included here, but the compilers have done a good job overall.
For me, highlights include Here Comes Sunshine (from 1973), Scarlet Begonias (from 1976), a lovely version of Morning Dew (from 1987) and Ramble On Rose (from 1990).
The set concludes with a cover of Robbie Roberson’s Broken Arrow, a wistful So Many Roads and finally a mournful sounding Garcia rounds thing off with Dylan’s Visions Of Johanna.
A very informative and well put together booklet enhances this beautifully packaged set with extensive notes on the songs and shows.
What does it all *mean*?
Everyone will have their own little quibbles as to what songs were not included – no China Cat Sunflower/I Know You » Continue Reading.
Recently reading the book ‘Neil and Me’, Bargepole discovered the final verse of the song Cortez The Killer was lost after a power outage and was never recorded. Are there other songs with ‘lost’ verses that never made it to the final recording, or even songs where a particular verse was substituted by an alternate effort?
What does it sound like?:
Almost ten years since his last solo outing, David Gilmour returns to the fray with his fourth studio album. The overall feel of the album is as languid and laid back as you would expect, the trademark guitar is firmly in place and his voice seems as good as ever despite his now advancing years.
Whenever Gilmour is involved the inevitable comparison with Pink Floyd will arise, but this work bears much more resemblance to 2006’s On An Island than to last year’s posthumous Floyd release The Endless River.
The strongest piece here by far, A Boat Lies Waiting, is a tribute to the late lamented Richard Wright – music, lyrics, spoken samples all gel perfectly.
Other tracks cover ground as diverse as jazz influences all the way through to more ambient sounding instrumentals
Lyrically Polly Samson’s words can sometimes fail to hit the mark, but more often than not she manages to pitch it just right.
If there is a criticism, it is that some of the songs end just as they seem about to build up a head of steam and turn into something bigger and grander.
Overall though this is a » Continue Reading.
Bargepole loves Don Henley’s music – here’s one from his forthcoming album ‘Cass County’ – enjoy!
What does it sound like?:
Perhaps a somewhat ironic title for this collaboration between Jon Anderson and Jean-Luc Ponty which was originally slated to appear much earlier in the year. It comes a stand alone cd or as a cd/dvd package.
This is a live album recorded last September, with some extra work done to the source recordings in the studio, although that probably applies to most live recordings.
It has to be said that despite now being in his seventies and having had various health problems over the past few years, Anderson’s voice is still in fine shape and he is singing as well as ever.
There is a mixture of reinterpretations of old Yes material together with a handful of new compositions, and some pieces which are loosely based around existing Ponty solo material.
Of the Yessongs, the shortened version of And You and I, similar to the way it was performed on the Anderson Wakeman tour a couple of years back, works best.
However, it is the songs built around Ponty’s solo work and the new material where the album really soars, with the combination of Jon’s vocals and Ponty’s violin really taking off. Ponty’s violin » Continue Reading.
This is England 1990 is soon to be shown on TV. Bargepole asks, what were you up to in the 90’s, what memories do you have of that time, and of course if there is a piece of music that captures your reminisences….
What does it sound like?:
So, a five cd box set from the epitome of good time seventies rock bands, The Faces.
A few years ago we had the Ian MacLagan curated set, Five Guys Walk Into A Bar, which gave a good account of the bands career with selected highlights from throughout their catalogue.
However this box set is even more comprehensive. It comprises the band’s four studio albums, each augmented with bonus tracks. A fifth disc collects various non-album singles (You Can Make Me Dance, Pool Hall Richard, Cindy Incidentally etc.) and their respective B sides, plus the long lost track Dishevelment Blues that appeared as an NME flexidisc back in the day. (Sadly the Overtures and Beginners live album is not included in the box)
This is the first time I’ve heard these albums for a good few years, and it is both surprising and pleasing to hear how well they have stood the test of time. The studio material brings back many memories of days long gone, but it is the live cuts that really stand out, catching the vibrancy of the band in their early seventies prime.
The bonus tracks on the individual albums » Continue Reading.
What a let down – not a patch on the book it’s based on, and Peter Kay horribly miscast! Any thoughts or comments?